Hi REL Connectors, Inc.

Hi REL Connectors, Inc., headquartered in Claremont, California, manufactures highly reliable electrical connectors, cable assemblies, and interconnect components for defense and aerospace platforms, selling primarily to the Defense Logistics Agency and Department of Defense agencies as a prime contractor (91% of recent awards). The company competes full-and-open; no set-aside categories recur across the footprint, though two Total Small Business set-aside awards appear in the recent record.

Hi REL's customer concentration is heavily weighted toward logistics and sustainment orders. The Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime dominates by volume (574 awards, $14.9 million combined potential value), but the Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Air Force Sustainment Center anchors the largest dollar share (12 awards, $21 million combined potential value). The Department of the Army Materiel Command Contracting Command Redstone Arsenal (14 awards, $6.9 million) rounds out the top three by dollars. Together, these three agencies account for 92% of combined potential value. DLA's dominance reflects transactional purchase orders and delivery orders for component parts; Air Force Sustainment Center's concentration reflects larger delivery orders for AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) system cable assemblies, connectors, and maintenance kits. Recent prime awards include a $741,737 delivery order from DLA Land and Maritime for connector plugs (NSN 5935-01-336-9017) supporting AMRAAM (January 2023); a $453,168 delivery order from Army Contracting Command Redstone Arsenal for W-17 cable assembly parts to test and reprogram AMRAAM (April 2023); and a $1,290,776.82 definitive contract from DLA Land and Maritime for 8,509 connector plugs (July 2022). Hi REL also recently won a $933,826.60 single-award indefinite delivery contract from the Joint Munitions Command (September 2025) for connector assemblies and complete connector components to support DoD munitions operations through August 2030, with an initial delivery order of $198,022.62 placed October 2025.

Hi REL holds multiple standing indefinite delivery contracts with DLA and Army Contracting Command, including a $2.5 million IDC with ACC Redstone for W-17, W-83, and W-9 cable assembly parts supporting AMRAAM (awarded October 2021, extended through October 2024); a $1.5 million IDC with DLA Land and Maritime for connector plugs supporting AMRAAM (awarded November 2021, extended through January 2024); and a $250,000 IDC with DLA Land and Maritime for protective cap plugs (awarded June 2022, expired June 2023). Five Air Force Sustainment Center IDCs — FA852015D0001, FA852008D0004, FA852005D0001, FA852007D0009, and SP093003D5268 — support 50 combined task orders valued at approximately $5.5 million, anchoring the Air Force's largest dollars with Hi REL.

Activity has remained stable: 45 awards in 2022, 33 in 2023, 48 in 2024, 47 in 2025, and 15 so far in 2026 (through mid-July). Twelve awards (combined potential value $872 thousand) complete within the next twenty-four months, posing moderate recompete exposure. Recent electronic connector manufacturing work centers on source-controlled components (NSN-driven, drawing-specification-controlled items like connector plugs NSN 5935013369017 and electrical covers NSN 5935014116300) with firm fixed-price, competitive delivery. Top NAICS is Electronic Connector Manufacturing (493 awards), followed by Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (108 awards) and Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (63 awards). Top PSC is Connectors, Electrical (736 awards).

In its subcontractor role, Hi REL supplies connectors and cable assemblies to Raytheon (AMRAAM production lots 34–37, AIM-9X lots 21–26, SIP IV hardware, RAM GMRP MK 44); Lockheed Martin (THAAD interceptor shorting plugs and receptacles, KSA THAAD production); Bell Textron (Future Vertical Lift FLRAA aircraft development connectors and plugs); Northrop Grumman (BLU-138 fuze production, Common Munitions Built-In-Test Reprogramming Equipment); Moog (circular connectors for electromechanical actuators); and DRS Network & Imaging Systems (thermal receiver unit control harness assemblies). Recent sub activity spans AMRAAM production support, space-grade Orion connectors, tactical air defense, and attack helicopter development.

Hi REL operates from a single manufacturing facility in Claremont, California, with all prime and sub work performed in-house. All work carries firm fixed-price terms and involves source-controlled, military-specification component manufacturing meeting stringent reliability and aerospace requirements. The vendor's footprint reflects deep specialization in high-reliability interconnect solutions for the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile system—the largest and most consistent program driver across both prime DLA/Army orders and subcontracts with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS (HERMETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL) SELF-LOCKING, FILTERED (EMI & RFI), MICRO-D'S, BACKSHELLS, CONNECTOR ACCESSORIES, CABLES, CONTACTS & MACHINE PARTS